The Golden Rule

Treat people how you want to be treated - active care, not just avoiding harm.

Key Concept

“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.Matthew 7:12 NASB1995

• The check is experiential - how would I want to be spoken to, helped, forgiven, included?
• Level 1: Before you act, ask how you would want someone to talk to you, help you, forgive you, or let you belong.
• Level 2: The check is experiential - how you would want to be spoken to, helped, forgiven, and included sets the floor.
• Level 3: Treating others from that mirror works because it converts abstract ethics into a test you can feel.
• Level 4: Run the experiential check before the hard conversation - that sets the floor for every interaction.
• Level 5: Free Grace keeps it from becoming a merit system - I treat others well because Christ treated me well, not to earn standing.
• That sets the floor for every interaction.
• Free Grace keeps it from becoming a merit system: I treat others well because Christ treated me well first.
• I treat people how I would want to be treated.
• The Golden Rule is active care for my neighbor - not just avoiding harm and calling it love.

Examples

• My thumb was on the post button with a critique that was probably true and definitely cruel - pause: how would I want someone to say that to me?
• Before I barked at the ref in front of the kids, I asked how I would want a coach to talk to me after a bad call - the Golden Rule changed the volume.

Note Relationships